Adjustable shoe closure device with spindle and tiltable nut

ABSTRACT

AN ADJUSTABLE CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A SHOE UPPER HAS TWO INTER-ENGAGEABLE CLOSURE MEANS, ONE OF WHICH INCLUDES A SPINDLE TURNABLY BUT LONGITUDINALLY IMMOVABLY JOURNALLED IN A HOUSING, AND A NUT IS REVOLUBLY JOURNALLED IN A SUPPORT PLATE THAT IS MOUNTED ON THE UPPER AND ENGAGES THE SPINDLE AND ENABLES THE SPINDLE TO BE MOVED LONGITUDINALY RELATIVE TO THE NUT BY TURNING THE SPINDLE AND TO BE MOVED ROTATABLY ABOUT AN AXIS THAT IS PERPENDICUALR TO THE EXTENSION OF THE SUPPORT PLATE.

Feb. 23, 1971 sc oc 1 3,564,665

ADJUSTABLE SHOE CLOSURE DEVICE WITH SPINDLE AND TIL'IABLE NUT Filed Aug. 27; 1969 wamwmn Amsueesmscum 1am! scuAFruAuseN (SCHWEIZ) 12 36 I5. as 315 II 5 ll- 33 Fig.4 38 Fig.5

Schufihausemden ".Juli 1969 wzmmmu AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT United States Patent O 3,564,665 ADJUSTABLE SHOE CLOSURE DEVICE WITH SPINDLE AND TILTABLE NUT Robert Schoch, Singen, Hohentwiel, Germany, assignor to Weinmann Aktiengesellschaft, Schalfhausen, Switzerland, a corporation of Switzerland Filed Aug. 27, 1969, Ser. No. 853,320 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 30, 1968, P 17 85 246.9 Int. Cl. A43b /04 US. CI. 24-68 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An adjustable closure device for a shoe upper has two inter-engageable closure means, one of which includes a spindle turnably but longitudinally immovably journalled in a housing, and a nut is revolubly journalled in a support plate that is mounted on the upper and engages the spindle and enables the spindle to be moved longitudinally relative to the nut by turning the spindle and to be moved rotatably about an axis that is perpendicular to the extension of the support plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Reference is had to my copending application Ser. No. 837,680, filed June 30, 1969.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to sports shoes, and relates more particularly to ski boots of the buckle closure type. Still more particularly, the invention relates to an adjustable shoe closure device for buckle boots that has a spindle and a tiltable nut.

Ski boots are known, the upper of which includes two flaps, and one fiap carries closure means, such as one or several tension devices, and the other flap carries a closure means, such as a corresponding number of buckles to engage the tension devices. Each tension device usually is provided with a support plate on which it is tiltable about an axis parallel to the extension of the support plate, and has a series of notches in any of which the bracket of the buckle may come to rest. The other closure means, namely that which includes the buckle, is often constructed as an adjustable closure mechanism that is provided with a spindle and nut, and, similar to the tension device, is provided with a support plate that is mounted on the upper, and the buckle is tiltable about an axis that is parallel to the extension of that support plate.

As each of the closure means is mounted on a different part of the upper of the ski boot, in trying to inter-engage the respective closure means it has often been experienced that present closure means of the aforedescribed type are deficient therein that the respective mating parts are not always properly aligned, so that sometimes quite strenuous manipulation is necessary, including forceful pressure exerted against the ankle of the foot of the wearer to provide for the locking of the closure means.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly one of the principal objects of the invention to provide an adjustable closure device for ski boots that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art recounted herein.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a closure device that permits tilting of the buckle not only about an axis that is parallel to the support plate, but also about an axis that is substantially perpendicular to the extension of the support plate.

3,564,665 Patented Feb. 23, 1971 It is a further object of the invention to provide such a closure device which permits adjustment of the position of at least one of the closure means, such as the buckle.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

Broadly speaking, the instant aims are accomplished by providing on the support plate a nut that is tiltable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the support plate and engages a spindle that is mounted in a housing. The spindle can be turned about its own longitudinal axis, but is immovable longitudinally relative to the housing. The spindle thus can be rotated about its own axis in the nut, and together with the nut about the axis of rotation of the nut, thus affording a multiple adjustment of the buckle relative to the support plate. As the spindle, as stated, is longitudinally immovable relative to the housing, it carries the housing with it in all positions to which the spindle is put; thus, the spindle will be protected by the housing in all positions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE VIEWS For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a closure means in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a. fragmentary sectional view, similar to a portion of FIG. 2, but embodying a modification; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4, but embodying a further modification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In carrying the invention into effect the embodiments Which have been selected for illustration in the accompanying drawings and for description in this specification, and referring now particularly to FIGS. 1-3, there is provided a closure means or closure mechanism 10. It comprises the spindle 11 that is in threaded engagement with a nut 19.

The spindle 11 is journalled in a housing 12 that is open at the bottom. The spindle 11 is thus journalled in the front wall 14 with its front portion 13, and is journalled with its rear portion 15 in an annular projection 16 that is formed in the rear wall 17 of the housing 12. The spindle 11 is rotatable about its longitudinal axis in the housing, but is immovable longitudinally relative to the housing 12.

Near the front end 13, the knob 18 is provided that is connected to the spindle 11, and is capable of turning the spindle in opposite directions when the knob itself is manually turned. The rear end 15 of the spindle 11 is swaged, so that the spindle 11 cannot be removed off the housing 12.

The nut 19 that engages the spindle 11 has a pin 20 that is secured to a support plate 21, though turnable thereon about an axis perpendicular to the extension of the support plate 21. The connection between the pin 20 or the nut 19 and the support plate 21 is such that the pin protrudes through a circular hole 22 of the support plate 21, and the lower end of the pin 20 is swaged, at 23 so that the nut 19 cannot be removed off the support plate 21.

closure mechanism is tiltable sidewardly, as the end portion 23 has a certain play.

If it is desired to eliminate that play, then the portion 23 will be swaged so that it is in tight play-free engagement relative to the support plate 21. The aforesaid play may be adjusted by the insertion of an adjustment ring 24.

The tilting of the closure mechanism in opposite directions about the axis of nut 19 may be limited by means of one or more projections 25 of the support plate 21 that extend upwardly into the interior of the housing 12, so that the side Walls 26 of the housing 12 may abut thereagainst.

A spacing sleeve 27 may be provided to limit the path of the spindle 11 in one direction (to the left, FIG. 2), thereby limiting the movement in that direction also of the housing 12, to prevent, for instance, damage to the rivet 28 which connects the support plate 21 to the flap 29 of the shoe upper.

Two further rivets 30 are provided for connecting the support plate 21 to the flap 29.

The buckle bracket 31 is journalled for tilting about an axis substantially parallel to the direction of the extension of the support plate 21, by having its ends journalled in tongues 32 that are formed in the side walls 26 of the housing 12.

The various parts of the closure mechanism '10 are preferably made of metal, such as steel; or other conventional suitable material.

To avoid accidental turning of the knob 18, a spring plate or brake plate may be provided between the knob 18 and the front wall 14 of the housing 12.

The buckle bracket 31 will be utilized for engaging a corresponding tension (not shown) on the other flap of the upper, as is well known to every person skilled in this art, and to most skiers.

In the modification of FIG. 4, the spindle 33 is journalled in a recessed portion 35 of the rear end wall 36 of the housing 37.

In the modification of FIG. 5, the spindle 38 is mounted with its rear end 39 in a partition wall 41 that is disposed inside the housing 12, enabling the rear wall 42 of the housing 40 to be closed. The partition wall 41 may be mounted in any suitable conventional manner, for instance in openings in the side walls 26 (not shown).

Certain of the advantages of the invention have already been herein referred to. It may be useful, however, to allude particularly at this point to the advantageous fact that the buckle bracket 31 is movable in a planetary movement, namely about an axis substantially parallel to the support plate 21, as determined by the bearing tongues 32, and also about the axis of the nut 19 sub- 4 stantially perpendicular to the direction of extension of the support plate 21.

I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction as shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. In a closure device, for use in connection with a sports shoe having two parts to be releasably put in closing position relative to each other and including two closure means adapted to be connected to the respective part of the upper, the combination of one of said closure means including a housing, a

spindle journalled in said housing and being turnable about its longitudinal first axis and immovable longitudinally relative to said housing, means outside said housing connected to saidspindle for turning it, a support plate mounted on the respective part of said upper and extending in a direction of a portion thereof, a nut connected to said support plate, said housing having an opening at the bottom, said nut projecting through said opening into the interior of said housing and engaging said spindle, and a bracket tiltably mounted on said housing, and being operable to engage the other closure means.

2. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 1, said nut being journalled for rotation in said support plate, about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the extension of said support plate, whereby said spindle and housing can be moved longitudinally relative to said nut by turning said spindle about said first axis and can also be moved rotatably about said second axis.

3. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 2, and means operable for limiting the movement of said spindle and housing about said second axis, including projection means operable for abutment with said housing in either extreme position of tilting about said second axis.

4. In a closure device, as claimed in claim 1, said housing including two tongues, said bracket being journalled in said tongues for movement about a third axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal extension of said support plate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,363,288 l/l968 Lange et al. 3650 DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Primary Examiner 

